Portrait of a Rockstar
by Actinium Biohazard
Summary: A young lady surprises a confused turian in the bar one day with an interesting request... No, he's not in a band. OC Centric story. Language/Adult themes.
1. An Unexpected Proposal

**This is a story about two original characters. If that's not your cup of tea, that's fine. The plot is not very clear yet, but you'll see. The characters themselves don't have ridiculous jobs like Spectre or C-Sec agent, so there isn't much action at first. Things heat up _later_.**

**Still thinking about a good title, this one's a work in progress. The formatting stinks on this site, dunno if/how I should break it up. ****Review if you want to see this keep going. ****If there's something about my writing that annoys you, don't be afraid to tell me. _Constructive_ criticism is welcome. My first fan fic. :c**

**Based off Mass Effect, which is Bioware's. I didn't create any of the alien races, Chora's Den, biotics, etc.**

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Zeronimus Kizukai was enjoying an extra strong turian blend of alcohol in Chora's Den when the human entered. He was at a table by himself, along the wall, in casual clothes. His choice in casual clothing was nothing ludicrous, but apparently no one was used to seeing a turian without armor. It didn't help that he was without clan markings, which often earned him whispers of "bare face." A black eye patch over his left eye was the piece de resistance to his visage.

The bar was not very crowded. It was an off hour, a few enjoying the displays of the dancers, and those deep in their cups like that ass Harkin. A few krogan bouncers lurked out of way, guarding the door in the back of the round room.

He glanced at the girl as she strolled in, as he did with each new patron. He liked to observe the types who visited Chora's. He wondered why she was allowed in. She seemed far too young. One could never tell with the way human modified their genetics and appearances. Guessing age solely on looks was ignorant. But even the barkeep was skeptical, but when confronted she pulled out her identification and it was enough to appease the man. She perched at one of the stools that circled the main island of the bar and ordered a drink.

Zeronimus watched her as she looked around, slowly surveying all the patrons. When her eyes stopped on him, he tensed. He met her gaze for a second before breaking away. He returned to his drink and his thoughts. It wasn't until he set the glass down he realized she was walking his way.

He took a long sip of his drink and steadied himself. This ought to be interesting. Whatever she wanted, it probably included him handing over his hard-earned credits. He scanned her more closely. She was wearing a black "hoo dee", as the humans called them, it's dark color contrasted by her red hair. She was the smallest being in the room, easily. Zeronimus wasn't very good at guessing human age, but she looked young, and he was obviously wrong if she was carded and still could get in the bar.

"Whatever you're selling, I don't want it," he asserted as she stopped at his table.

She was undaunted. She leaned close to him to be heard over the bass boom of the background music. It wasn't until now that he realized she was holding something. He couldn't tell what it was, but it looked like a notebook.

"Uh, I don't want your credits. I just want to ask you something."

"Look, if it's about my eye, forget it."

She sat down across from him uninvited, but he let it pass. She gazed at his eye closer. Her blue-green eyes stared into his luminous yellow one. The pupil of the turian's right eye looked like a crosshair, pinning its victims under its gaze. His other eye was not present, there being a standard black eye patch over it. He respected the old school look.

"Well, it's not _directly_ about your eye, it's more about you in general… Would you allow me to draw you?"

Whatever he was suspecting, it was certainly not this. He leaned back, rumbling his surprise. He took a moment to reply.

"Ah, come again? You want to… draw me? Why would you pick me? I was not aware humans had a thing for turian pin ups," he tried to joke.

She cocked her head at him, smirking. "No, nothing like that. It's for a project I'm working on," she explained. "I'm going around and picking some of the more interesting people on the Citadel." She now laid her sketch pad on the table, sliding it across to him so he could view it. Portraits sprang up at Zeronimus.

An Asari with full body tattoos, a hanar with very few tentacles left, an Elcor with a collection of curious scars, and judging by the clothing, a female Salarian.

"They've all got their own stories to tell, and you know how they say a picture says a thousand words. You have a very unusual face," she noted. "Never have seen a face like you. The patch is very charming." Zero ignored the jibe and studied all of the portraits, each subject curious indeed. The drawings themselves were not amazing but they had character; and he had to admit the project was original and shaping up well. Her collection as very impressive. He wondered what the story behind the human herself was. He leaned forward.

"Deal. But I have a few conditions." He slid back her sketch book. "First, your name?"

Her mouth opened in surprise. "Oh! My bad. I'm Ama. Yours?" She stuck out her hand. He took it and gently shook. Her hand was small and delicate within his, and he felt like he could crush it easily.

"Zeronimus."

Ama's blue-green eyes half-lidded and she grinned, "Zeronimus? I like it. I used to have a dog named Zero. Okay, Zero, so what's your other condition?"

Zeronimus winced inwardly before speaking. "Also, not here. I don't want to look like an egotistical ass, like I'm paying someone to draw me so I can look at myself on the wall every day. In fact, I'd prefer not to look in the mirror."

She nodded. "Of course, I prefer a quieter place anyway. Any you don't have to pay. Any other conditions?" She finished her drink, sighing contentedly as she slammed the glass down.

Zero considered briefly. "None that I can think of right now." She appeared thoughtful for a moment.

"What about The Jaded Elcor? It's quiet enough, and I like their waffles."

"Waffles?" He shook his head and knocked back the rest of his drink. "Okay," he stood, swaying slightly. "Let's do this." He paid his tab and they left.

* * *

They found a quiet nook in the corner of The Jaded Elcor, far removed from the rest of the diners. Ama flipped open her sketchbook to a new page. From out of her small messenger bag she pulled a bundle of pencils, both colored and grayscale. For a few moments she studied his face, memorizing any important details. Zero didn't like being scrutinized, even if it was for drawing. He returned the favor and studied her.  
Ama had a very light skin color. He guessed that her parents were from a distant colony, perhaps immigrants to the Citadel. Many of the humans had a darker skin color, the result of their races interbreeding. It was uncommon to see such pale skin, but not rare. They changed skin pigmentation if they so chose. Pale skin was like the bare faces of his kind, though not quite regarded as pariahs. She had a delicate bone structure and expressive eyes. Not shapely, like most of his human coworkers hounded about, but definitely a female. Her autumn red hair was done up in a loose bun, a few loose strands swaying with her motions. He was lost in thought when she cleared her throat.

"I'm drawing you, so I have a _reason_ for staring. Yours?" She tilted her head.

"Uh, sorry," Zero recovered lamely. "I was just thinking that medium is rather traditional." He waved at her pencils.

Ama snorted and shook her head. "Everyone is so into digital paintings these days, I like to be old school. Okay, relax, I need a natural pose. No, no, don't sit like a statue," she instructed him when he tried to freeze. "I want a candid shot, basically." When she was pleased with his posture, she clapped her hands together. "Good. Now you can move, just try not to shift too much. I want to get quick lines drawn out first."  
His face began to form out of the lines and curves as she drew. When she finished the sketch of his neck, she shifted so she could see his shoulders better.

"Ooooh, so you have a tattoo?" She indicated his black radioactive symbol tattoo on his left shoulder. She would have seen it before in the bar, but she chose now to address it. "Does it hold any important meaning, if you don't mind me asking?"

Zero smiled, and then realized she wouldn't be able to tell. "I work with a hazmat team. You know, cleaning up radioactive and biohazard spills. You wouldn't believe how much it happens. It seems like the scientists don't even bother with safety precautions sometimes." He ended with a chuckle, memories coming back to him.

"Did it hurt getting it? I mean the tat. Mine hurt like a bitch, but don't turians have thicker skin?"

"A little. It hurt, yeah, because they need to use a tougher needle. But you know how it's different from person to person. I have a pretty high pain tolerance. Now, show me yours." He countered. He almost expected her to smile and comply, but she sighed.

"It's on my back, and I'm not taking off my shirt. Here, anyway," she added, winking at him. He groaned and face palmed. She went on. "It's a dragon, crawling up my back. Nothing too fancy."  
Zero had no idea what a dragon was, so he asked what it looked like. She had moved on to coloring his face now, and chose a warm grey. She explained as she filled in the color and shaded, "Well, if you've never seen one before, how can you understand? I guess you can call it a lizard with wings."

He had been called a lizard before, and in derogatory terms. But he was uncertain of what one looked like. He let it go, uncertain if it even mattered what a dragon was, or why he needed to know. Ama moved on to coloring in his neck and shoulders, a pale offshoot of a red-grey.

* * *

After some time, Zero glanced at the clock and realized they had been there for over an hour. He suddenly felt sore. He sighed heavily and Ama looked up.

"Tired? Okay, we need a break." She put down the pencil and shook out her hands. "My wrist is killing me." Her stomach growled audibly.

Zero thought for a minute carefully before speaking, not wanting to sound like a creep.

"You look hungry. Do you want to eat?"

Many of the humans Zero knew were older and their work required physical exertion, giving them muscles, or sat on their asses and gained mass. She was neither. He often wondered how one species could vary so greatly in physical structure.

"Are you going to buy?" she joked. She raised a brow when he nodded.

"You just look a bit on the thin side. Do artists often starve?"

She snorted as if he had said something funny. "You should talk! Turians have no body fat whatsoever!" He tried to look offended. Maybe this was a bad idea. She had warmed up to him, a complete stranger, so quickly. He found her trusting attitude disturbing. She seemed to catch his sour mood.

"Sorry, Zero, I didn't mean to make fun. I'm just… naturally thin. It's a good thing, really." Zero did not think that it was. He could probably break her bones by giving her a tight hug. He winced at the image.  
"Well, I guess I could buy you these waffles I keep hearing about," he sighed, signaling over the Salarian waiter, who had avoided them up until now and then hovered closer when he heard talk buying lunch. She ordered soup instead of the legendary waffles, and the waiter left. She put away her supplies quietly, frowning. Zero didn't normally pry, and he just met her -- it was really not his business. They sat in silence.  
Zero finally gave way to his conscience and asked her what was wrong. Instead of telling him, she completely ignored the question and asked her own.

"So, how _did_ you lose your eye?"

His mandibles flared slightly in annoyance at her dodging. He considered lying, and discarded the idea. He was a bad liar, like most turians. Instead, he chose the closest thing to the truth without telling her that his eye was still there, just not organic anymore.

"Accident at work, actually, not so much an accident as a circumstance of idiocy. I was still new, and uh, well we sort of were joking around. We were assigned to clean up this mess in a lab where the lead scientist was arrested under suspect of testing contagions on his own assistants. We let down our guard, and this crazed scientist came in, yelling about how we were messing up his experiments. One thing led to another and," he paused, angered by the memory. "The bastard threw a vial at me. Hit me right there." He tapped his eye patch with a clawed finger. "My eye dissolved. I'm just lucky that vial didn't land on the top of my head."

Ama shivered. "Holy crap. I'm so sorry. Did you kill him?" She meant that last part almost sarcastically, but he laughed inwardly.

"Yeah, he got killed. Not for what he did to me, but to his assistants. _That_, I won't tell you."

The waiter arrived with the soup, and Ama sipped at it gingerly.

"All this talk of eye melting is making me lose my hunger," she remarked, stirring her soup. Steam rose in ribbons. She ate it delicately.

"Satisfied?" Ama asked, beaming at him before pulling the sketchbook out once more. "Okay big guy, I just have a few things to do, and then you're off the hook."

She flipped open to his page, and his countenance stared back at him. He thought of how girls usually took one look at his face and avoided him. If she had gotten something out of this, so be it. His train of thought led to an impetuous conclusion.

"May I ask something of you? Please don't take it the wrong way…" he trailed off, uncertain of how to go on. She raised her brows at him, waiting for elaboration.  
"Well, you see, my problem with this is that it's almost impossible to make a living this way…To be honest, artists don't make much money. It's not a fixed income. Even the best artists are often poor!" He had raised his voice the last part, startling nearby patrons. "My point being, you need to focus on getting a solid job. Maybe I can help you there," he offered.

Ama stared at him for a second before bursting into peals of laughter. By the time they had subsided, her face was a flush of pink. He was confused and annoyed by her reaction. She glanced at him and then snorted into her hand. She composed herself before finally facing him.

"Who ever said anything about this being my main source of income? But, that is _very_ kind of you to offer. What did you have in mind?" She urged. He felt like he had jumped the gun.  
"Oh? Just a job where I work," he shrugged, still embarrassed about his rash speech.

Ama was finishing up his likeness without speaking, and he knew that was the end of that conversation. When everything was to her liking, she set down her pencil and cracked her knuckles.

"All done!" She proudly displayed the final result to Zero, an eerie mirror image.

"Very well done, Ama." He studied the portrait. It almost made him look good.

"Thank you for letting me stare at you," she jested. Smiling, she called the waiter over, producing credits. She went to hand the Salarian the creds, but Zero put hand out to stop her. His talons brushed the back of her hand.

"Wait, I'm supposed to be buying, remember? It's the least I could do for such a glorious rendering of me." He gave the waiter the desired credits and turned to Ama. He gave her a small glare, and she pretended to wither under it.

"I don't know what you do for a living, but I have enough to buy you a cup of soup. I just want to do something nice for in return." He glanced at the clock, now aware he was late for a briefing. She took the hint.

"It's okay, you can go. I'm done. Thank you so much," Ama said, putting away her supplies. Zero bowed his head.  
"If you ever need a cheap local artist, hit me up." She handed him her card before he could say another word and strolled towards the exit. He let her go and stored the card away, putting his mind on the meeting at hand.

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**Let me know if I should bother with continuing, or if I should just stick to reading. xD****  
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	2. Just Another Job

**Here's Chapter 2! Making each chapter shorter than the first, I think.  
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** Ama isn't in it, but oh wells. **

**Remember, I did not create Mass Effect, turians, biotics, etc. **

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All on his way to his work place he thought of the strange girl that had suddenly pushed her way into his life and then just as suddenly left. She had left quickly, like something had suddenly come up. He wondered if he'd done something wrong, or perhaps something had been lost in translation. He sighed and decided not to fret. Striding through the through the entrance, he squared himself up to be reamed. He was only half an hour late… what's the worse that could happen?

As it turns out, nothing except a verbal reprimand.

"Kind of you to join us, Kizukai." Glared director Arxus. Zero slid in, muttering an apology, and sat in the nearest empty chair. Others glanced at him, a few greeting him with a nod or a smile.

"Now that we have the Lead in, we can continue." He slid a docket of information down to Zero. Everyone else had theirs, and he opened it up with mechanical detachment. "We just received a call a few hours ago about a _massive_ find of contagions down at the storehouse sector. There was a raid on this compartment, something about black market weapons. I think illegal organ cloning was involved, too."

Arxus now pulled up a map of the location. The turian director pointed at the particular storage compartment, nestled in amongst several others. It was oft the site of criminal activity, and Zero was not thrilled about having to go in there. There was only one way to get in or out of the storage areas.

"Anyway, while they were clearing out the place, they came across a lot of chemical weapons. Nasty stuff, too. One of the officers said he'd never seen that many canisters of anthrax in one place. Our job, as usual, is to go in and clean out the place. No angry land lords or scientists, no ambushes, and as far as I know, no booby traps."

Just another job. He'd done them many times before, and while it seemed after awhile to become a routine, it had surprises. Most were an unpleasant, painful death. He was lucky turians were more resistant to radiation. But that didn't stop them from succumbing to it. He fingered his eye patch, more out of reflex of the memory than actually wanting to do it.

"Now," continued Arxus, breaking Zeros thoughts. "We're leaving in twenty. Standard procedures, remember your protection. We'll need three lifts, and triple that number of grips. Each of you get another body to add to the count. It'll go faster if we have more of us. Dismissed!" He waved them off, gathering up his things.

* * *

In the locker room, everyone climbed into their suits. Special hazmat armor, sealed as much for vacuum as for tiny attackers micrometers small, protected them from the dangers of their job. The bright orange of the hazmat suits was a universal for caution. Everyone checked their suits for cracks or holes, and checked the backs of their buddies armor. Many sealed their helmets on now, tubes running from the base of the head to between the shoulders, a specially designed breathing unit. Others preferred to attach their helmets later on just before arriving at the site.

Zero sealed his up with a grunt. His suit was a mix of steel blue, silver and black, denoting him as the Lead Hazmat. Yellow radioactive signs reflected the light. He picked up his helmet, letting it dangle by his side. Turning to watch the rest of them, silently he picked up his equipment.

"Everyone sealed?" He barked. Hoots and grunts assured him that they were.

"Okay folks, I want to get this over and done with ASAP. We all have better things to do than clean up after criminals." He grumbled.

"Like what? Go home to your cat?" Joked Barkley. He elbowed Zero in good humor. The group slowly made its way down the corridor to the awaiting transit.

"Something like that." Zero said with a smirk.

"You have a cat?" Gasped Carolynn. "Ooh! I'm surprised you like cats! What's its name?"

Zero rolled his eye. "His name is Pookums. He is fat and squishy." He almost choked when Carolynn didn't get the sarcasm in his voice. She squealed with delight before gliding back to another team mate to spread the word. Barkley roared with laughter and knocked the nearest unlucky turian into the wall with a flail of his arms. He muttered an apology before glancing at Zero. Laughter danced in his eyes.

They arrived at the awaiting rapid-transit and piled in. An attached cargo hold contained their lifts, designed to move dangerous cargo safely.

Zero took a window seat, as he always enjoyed the view. Barkley settled in next to him, assuring them some privacy. The bulk of the man was enough to keep any unwanted attention at bay. His skin was dark and his eyes shone with good humor. He was good company, though his appearance said otherwise. Zero liked him well enough.

A quiet Salarian sat next to Barkley, sort of. He skipped a seat between them. There were plenty enough seats. The din of the enclosed area made Zeros head buzz. He closed his eye and tried to catch a cat nap before they arrived at the compound.

He did not get his wish, though. As he started to drift, a sharp poke startled him back to alertness. It was Pavek, leaning over the back of his seat. The fellow turian was dark grey, with red clan markings dancing across his chitinous face.

"Word on the street is you have a cat. Why do I have the feeling you were messing with poor Carolynn? You don't even like animals."

"I wasn't messing with her, she just didn't pick up the subtleties of my jest. I often wonder if humans have problems deciphering our voices." He glanced at the ground blurring by below them, wondering how close they were. He began to feel the fatigue of the day. "You know, I hate pulling these late jobs." He idly remarked. Pavek murmured in agreement before settling back into his own seat.

"It's money." Barkley shrugged. "Sucks, but you gotta do it." He affixed his helmet, gesturing for Zero to help secure his breathing cables. Zero affixed them securely, checked for any leaks and cuffed Barkley on the shoulder as an 'All Clear'.

Clicking his helmet into place, the favor was returned. He heard the snap of the metal tubes that would save his life if there were any leaks in the canisters they were supposed to move. The sound of his own breathing filled his ears, and he heard the soft din of those who hadn't began to prepare themselves. He stood, clutching to the seat in front of him for balance.

"Everyone, get your helmets on! We are arriving in…" he checked his locator. "Approximately 5 minutes! I want everyone to double check their suits."

The metallic clinking of the rest of the group securing their helmets filled the air. Pavek turned around to look up at Zero, his visor up.

"Sooo.. This.. not-a-cat you speak of. Is it a girl by any chance?" He prodded. Zero thumped him lightly on the side of the head.

"Maybe later, Pav. Don't want any other curious ears listening in, eh?" Zero slipped past Barkley and weaved his way to the front.

"The lifts are all checked and good to go." The driver said by way of greeting. Zero nodded and viewed the Citadel rushing up to meet them. The transport rocked as it slowed down to descend, lightly shaking when ground contact was made. By now everyone was sealed and rearing to go. They piled out of the rapid transit and unhooked the cargo trailer containing the lifts.

If what Arxus had hinted at was true, then the collection of biological weapons was vast. To require three lifts hinted at a massive shipment. The sting operation had hit the payload.

* * *

With the rest of the group waiting with the lifts, Zero and a small group trained in combat cautiously made their way among the blocks of compartments. The corridors were wide enough for them to walk abreast. Arriving at the cargo hold in suspect, they flanked the door and pushed it open. While they weren't expecting any resistance, he wasn't going to take anything for granted.

When nothing exploded or shot at them, Zero entered first, quickly assessing the massive room. It was mostly empty, cleaned of all contraband save for those they had come to collect. Pallets of containers stacked upon one another, each container holding perhaps ten canisters of a similar contagion. It was the shoddiest, and most careless way to store bio-weapons that Zero has ever seen. Usually one wouldn't throw them all together. It was as if those responsible cared not for the health of those buying.

"If there isn't a leak among these, I'll give everyone ten credits. I want someone with a Geiger meter in here _now_." He snarled. Someone left to fulfill his request.

"You're on, I'll raise you twenty credits," Croaked Ruark, one of the few krogan who worked with him. It was most unusal for Krogan to have a job than didn't require shooting someone, but no one questioned Ruark's motives. They were accepting, just as none of them asked why Zero bore no clan markings. One of his favorites things about his job was the people and how accepting they were. A thought flitted briefly across his mind.

"I could tell Ama about how many interesting subjects I work with," he muttered, mostly to himself. He was thinking of excuses for getting in contact with her. But Pavek heard him.

"Who's Ama?" He hissed teasingly, elbowing Zero in the side. "Your new pet?"

"Shut up," he snapped. Thankfully, at that moment Carolynn chose to stroll in with the Geiger device. It began clicking wildly. Zero groaned, loudly. It was going to be a _long_ day.


	3. A Chain of Events

**This chapter is actually longer than the first. Sorry about that, but I was on a roll! Things start to reveal themselves in this chapter. A bit o' character development. **

**Just wanted to say THANK YOU! to those that reviewed. Made me glad that someone enjoyed reading this. :]  
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**Again, I don't own any concepts of turians, biotics, Mass Effect, you know the drill.**

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When they had finally collected the last of the contaminants, Zero made the necessary preparations. They had filled up two massive creates of the bio-weapons, using the lifts to carefully place the canisters within. The temperatures within would freeze the contents for the time being. It was too risky to store them somewhere. Many of the canisters were leaking, and others only got worse over time. The risk was too great, and the only way to ensure the safety of everyone on the Citadel would be to launch the offending materials into a sun. Intense heat and pressure would destroy them almost instantly. An uninhabitable solar system was chosen, in the unlikely event that it would backfire. Unlikely being the key word, but better safe than sorry.

When the problem was transferred into someone else's hands, the first thing Zero did was to go to his apartment. He desperately needed sleep. He could barely compose himself during the decontamination process, the locker room and the following debrief. Arxus had congratulated them on a job well done, as usual. However, something odd occurred. As everyone filed out to leave, Arxus held Zero up.

"Kizukai, I'd like to talk to you in private," he looked Zero up and down. "But right now you look like crap. I'll catch you tomorrow. Now go home."

It occurred to Zero that Arxus could have just waited tomorrow to pull him aside. Why he needed to forewarn him about it was boggling. Yet he didn't dwell. His tired mind was a runaway train. His mind wandered back to Ama. He thought of contacting her to tell her about a certain krogan that she could draw. He had noticed she hadn't done one of them yet. Or a quarian… but they were few and far between.

Flopping on his bed, Zero didn't bother to undress. He let out a long, contented sigh. His mind began to drift. Funny, that. His body was dead tired, but his mind wasn't. He let it wander, thinking back on how he came to live on the Citadel. It wasn't a very pleasant memory, but he wanted to reminisce for the sake of remembering who he was and why.

* * *

Cota Timagas had been born on Pavalen. By the time he had come of age, he had decided against joining the military. This was against the wishes of his parents. His father had tried to persuade him, verbally and physically, to follow in his path. Yet Cota knew the scars run more than skin deep, and he felt no desire to become like his father. Knowing he would not take no for an answer, Cota left. He took what credits he had saved, and a few things to remember the less harsh aspects of his life.

To take care of any fallout at his destination, he paid a hefty sum to a friend's friend who was an expert at getting into places he didn't belong. Personal files, to be exact. No name was offered by the turian hacker, and it wasn't asked. He had paid the guy to rid him of any trace of Cota Timagas. The names of his family were erased, and replaced with unknown status. When asked what he wanted his new name to be, he replied, "I have zero ideas."

The hired turian had chuckled. "Zeronimus! Hmm, Zeronimus Tizukai? Actinm?" He went through a few last names, but Zero had liked the ring on the first suggestion.

After a few minutes of rearranged letters, he finally had it.

"What about Zeronimus Kizukai?" The other turian had agreed it was good, and a free name, too. From then on, when asked, his name was Zeronimus Kizukai. Cota was dead.

To this day, Zero did not regret the decision. It was a hard one, and it led him down a rough path. But if he hadn't left Palaven, he would have not been who he was today. He knew he had disgraced his family. Where it put him on the social tier, he never bothered to care. Finding himself a minority, Zero didn't care to be a part of the militaristic society that his birth planet embraced. He knew there were others out there that shared his view.

Buying passage on a ship, he came to the Citadel. He knew not where to start, how he would get a job, or even where he'd stay. He barely had enough credits left after paying for the ticket. He tried to apply for several jobs as soon as he arrived. But they were suspicious of him. A turian who had come from unknown origins was likely a criminal. Eventually he had taken to living off the goodwill of others. He stole food, begged for credits, and told himself he would get a decent job one day. It seemed that day would never come.

He had numerous run ins with the law, as well. They were mostly disgruntled about his panhandling and the stolen food. He usually got off with a warning, but one day they had had enough. He had been caught and was to be taken down to C-Sec to be questioned. Just before they had entered the elevator that would seal his fate, divine intervention!

"_There_ you are! I've been worried sick!" The grip on his wrist released almost instantly as the officer spun around. A human female was making her way towards them, right at Zero. She had choppy black hair, and wore an elegant blue dress. Her shoes clicked on the floor as she strode over.

"Zeronimus! You are in so much trouble! What have you done this time?" She berated. Zero was struck that she knew his name. His surprise must have shown, rather than appearing sorry. The officer narrowed his eyes.

"And you are the guardian of this child? He has been an almost constant pain in our asses for the past month!" He'd pushed Zero towards the strange lady, happy to be rid of his burden, and to not bother with the paperwork involved.

"Ma'am, you need to be more aware of his whereabouts. He's been caught panhandling, loitering and even stealing! Sleeping on benches is not the behavior of someone with a home…" he'd stated cautiously. The woman lowered her eyes.

"I apologize. Things have been rough for us lately." She circled her arm around Zero. He was not thrilled about this, but it was better than being detained. They had left, and once out of earshot of the officer, she had smiled at him warmly.

"Why did you do that?" He'd asked.

"Because it's just who I am. I've seen you around before and it breaks my heart to see someone so young, so lost."

* * *

He didn't know it then, but the lady with the choppy black hair would become his foster mother. Looking back on it now, Zero felt a deep longing well up. She'd taken him in, taught him the ways of the Citadel and life, and amusingly enough, human culture. He'd embraced it, enjoyed it, adopted it. His own culture had become a blend of both worlds.

"A mutt," he smiled to himself. He rolled over to sit up. After running around for the past 20 hours on empty, he was not ready to sleep yet. One thing was bugging him. Feeling for the business card given to him earlier, he padded over over to his computer terminal, talons clicking on the floor. He keyed in Ama's contact number on her card. He hesitated a second before sending, uncertain if she would be annoyed at him calling her so soon. The video link connected, awaiting the other end to answer. Zero quickly smoothed the wrinkles in his tank, suddenly self conscious.

"Idiot," he muttered to himself.

The video spazzed as the other end connected, a grainy image of a girl appearing on Zero's terminal. Her eyes were bloodshot and snatches of music drifted in and out of hearing. Her red hair was loose, cascading down just past her shoulders.

"Hello?" She said, her voice cracking. She coughed and rubbed her eyes. "Zero? Wow, I thought I'd never see you again!" She laughed.

"If this is a bad time, I can call back." He replied, unsure of her comment.

"Naw, man, it's all good," she waved in indifference. "What's up?"

For a second Zeros mind blanked, and he sat there, mouth agape. Then he thought of his idea.

"Oh, well. I was thinking, I know this krogan you could add to your project." He rubbed his neck like a shy schoolboy. "I noticed you didn't draw any of them."

She grinned, and stood, leaving the frame for a minute. Her voice continued, though. She coughed.

"Well, I actually met one after we parted ways! Pretty interesting fellow." Zero's stomach dropped. She reappeared, with her sketchbook. Settling down, she flipped through the pages before turning the portrait to the screen.

"Wrex was his name, I think." She pointed to the harsh lines of scars going down his right side of his face. "Brutal, huh? I only had him for half an hour, though. He got impatient. Something about smashing a fist?" She snapped the book shut and set it aside.

"How unfortunate. The krogan I know is more amiable," he offered. Ama shook her head.

"No, thanks," she leaned towards the screen. "But, if you want, we could hang out again. I know you didn't just call to pitch me a subject." She waggled her eyebrows. She was right, and she knew it. "What's your schedule like? I'm free until tomorrow night."

Zero refrained from asking what she was doing tomorrow night, but when she coughed, he asked if she was okay.

"Yeah, just finished smoking," she glanced around. Zero put the pieces together.

He snorted in disbelief. "The ganja? I didn't know humans liked that kind of thing!"

"It's illegal for us," she narrowed her eyes. "You won't snitch?"

"It's not in me. Besides, I smoke it myself," he shrugged. A harsh knocking split the silence on Ama's end. She glanced to her right, tensing. The knocking increased in volume.

"You can come over now, if you want," she whispered, quickly relaying her apartment's location. Zero hastily scribbled it down. "The sooner, the better." Her eyes betrayed her fear. Zero's heart began to race when she cut the connection. He shot to his feet, grabbing a few things before racing out the door.

* * *

His mind raced with scenarios as the rapid-transit car sped it's way down to the neighboring sector. He ran full speed through the corridors, pushing his way through the thin spread of people mulled about. He avoided elevators when possible, finally arriving at the desired wing. He pulled out his blade, a serrated 10-inche knife that he'd strapped to his calf, hidden to all but the trained eye.

As he moved down the silent corridor, heart thumping. The apartment in question wasn't hard to spot. The door had been ripped off it's hinges. No one was in the hall. He approached the twisted frame pressing himself against the wall. Voices wafted out of the apartment, one rising in anger, the other calm and level.

Zero leaned just enough to peer into the room. Two figures stood facing one another. Ama faced the doorway, so she saw Zero peeking around the corner. She shook her head subtly, but the meaning was lost on Zero. He couldn't just leave, or go to get help. By then it might be too late.

The other figure was another human, dressed in all black. He'd backed Ama against a wall, a large blade pointed at her. A pistol was strapped to his hip, but he apparently saw no reason to use it.

"The good doctor wants you back. You know, leaving without asking isn't very nice. He gave you a second chance. Could've just left you frozen. In my opinion, he should have, with the way you act. Nothing but a selfish bitch," He brought the blade closer to her face, applying slight pressure on her cheek. A thin line of blood erupted from the small gash. "Now are you going to cooperate, or do I have to redecorate your face?"

Ama looked him right in the eyes, a smile playing across her lips.

"Never thought you'd let him use you like this, Rilumo. Is this how you want to be remembered?" Her hands at her side balled into fists, and she looked at Zero. When the man in black turned his head to look in Zero's direction, Ama's knee shot up, landing right on target. The man roared in pain and fell to one knee, dropping his machete and cradling his damaged junk.

Zero took the split second to stride in, grab the human's hair and expose his neck, while kicking away the knife. The cold steel of the Zero's blade danced dangerously close to the man's flesh. Zero felt white hot anger boil in him.

"Attacking a defenseless lady," he spat. "Aren't assassins supposed to have scruples?" He yanked the man's head back further so he could look up at the turian.

The man began to laugh hoarsely.

"Defenseless? You think I was hired to kill an innocent? She's wanted, alright. She belongs to the man who gave her life," he rolled his eyes to glare at Ama, who had pushed away from the wall. She delivered a sharp kick to the man's sternum. He gaped and a trickle of blood dribbled down his nose.

"Not another word, Rilumo, or next time I'll knock all those pearly whites out."

The man wheezed laughter once more. "I see how it is, this must be a friend of yours," he gave Zero a hard stare. "Did she tell you she's a biotic? And that she actually _killed_ someo-" Rilumo was cut off as Ama brought her boot into the man's face, a wet crack as his nose broke. Zero pulled the man away from Ama's reach. He had to be handed over to C-Sec, not brutally beaten.

"Not so defenseless now, is she?" The man laughed through a film of blood.

"Call someone to come pick him up," ordered Zero. The girl glared at Rilumo once more before dialing a C-Sec dispatcher. As they waited, Zero told Ama to stay away from the man, who kept trying to disclose all sorts of information regarding the girl.

"If you don't shut up, Ama will do it for you, okay?" Grumbled the one-eyed turian as the man began babbling about the escaped biotic, shaking him for good measure. The man quieted.

Within ten minutes or so, two C-Sec officers entered the room. They took one look at the bloodied man before looking at each other. One of them put his hand on his gun, affixing Zero with a stare.

"Looks to me as if this man was the one who got assaulted." Ama stepped between them.

"If he hadn't come along, I'd be dead or beaten within an inch of it," She pointed to the cut on her cheek. "I know it doesn't look like much, but he got here just in time. In fact, _no one _else bothered to come see if I needed help! If anything, he should be getting a reward, not suspected of assault." She planted her hands on her hips.

The officers looked abashed and move over to collect Rilumo. Despite his beaten appearance, they cuffed him and did a search for weapons. Besides the obvious hip pistol, he had concealed 2 more smaller blades, a tazer, and a tiny explosive device. One officer whistled in amazement. They collected what information they needed, and ask Ama a few questions. She told a mix of truth and fabrications to them. No, she didn't know what he'd wanted. She said he thought she was a biotic, but Ama chuckled that she hadn't a biotic bone in her body. The man had gotten his targets confused, or his contractor fed him wrong information. When they questioned Zero, he could not give much beside he'd been walking by when he heard her cry.

"Luckily I carry a knife for self protection, of course. Just when I walk the seedier parts of the Citadel," he amended. The C-Sec officers seemed satisfied enough, and turned to leave. Ama thanked them.

"Ma'am, whatever you did to piss someone off this much, it had to have been big. We'll question the man. I suggest you relocate in the mean time, because an apartment without a door doesn't do much use," said one of them, turning to address her before he left.

When they had left, Ama stood staring at what remained of her door, twisted metal crumpled into a ball. Obviously an explosive had been used. The fact that no one bothered to check it out was disturbing indeed. Zero wondered what sort of neighborhood this was.

"Don't ask, don't tell," she muttered as if she'd read his mind. She collapsed on her bed, the only piece of furniture in the room aside from a now broken chair. With the excitement dying down, Zero took a moment to view her apartment. It was small, one large room serving as the bed room and transitioned into a small kitchen. A door led to a washroom. A indent set back in the wall served as a closet. Pictures of Terra scenery decorated the walls.

When he turned back to Ama, she had a small creature cradled in her arms. It had probably been hiding during the intrusion. It was a small, scaly thing with wings. Scales shone variations of purples and blues. The long tail ended in a spade. It's triangular head had tiny ivory horns, and mammalian ears, like that of a goat. Green eyes glowed at Zero, and it squeaked. Leathery wings spread out in a defensive posture. Ama cooed to it, and it settled down a little.

"_This_ is what a dragon looks like, sort of. They're supposed to be much larger," she informed him. Zero sat next to her, his weight causing the mattress to dip. He reached out a claw for the creature to sniff. It sniffed him warily. Tentatively, it licked him with a tiny blue tongue. It seemed to approve, as its wings relaxed.

"His name is Cota," she told him. At the mention of his birth name, Zero inhaled sharply. She gave him a questioning look, but he shook his head.

"Look, Ama, you need to get out of here. I don't know your story, and if you don't want to tell me, that's okay. I don't care if you killed someone, or if it was a lie. But it sounds like this doctor really wants you back. You need to find somewhere else to stay. Do you have any family you could call?"

She shook her head, eyes glazing. "Didn't you listen to Rilumo? I was frozen. As far as I know, any family I had is gone," Her eyes shimmered with the beginnings of tears, but she blinked them back. "I'm pretty sure I had a terminal illness when they froze me. I know it has something to do with element zero. That explains the latent biotic abilities, and my physical deterioration," she smiled sadly.

"And no, I can't really do anything. What Rilumo said, yes, I killed someone. When I woke up, I was terrified, and I knew I had to get away. They were going to mess with my brain. I wasn't about to let anyone tamper with me again. I think the overload of emotional stress sent out a wave of dark energy. I never thought it'd be strong enough to kill her. But, I guess it was." She ended her story by hugging Cota tighter. The miniature dragon cooed at her.

Zero reflected on what she said for a moment. A shadow passed by her gaping door, and his mind snapped back to the problem at hand.

"Okay, just come to my place? We can figure something there. The longer we sit here, the more chance of another attack is." Ama nodded in understanding. She pried Cota off her and set him in Zero's lap. She grabbed her pack and began to gather things. When she finished packing anything of value or use, she ambled over to him.

"Thank you, Zero. I owe you," she held an arm out. Cota leapt through the air to her outstretched arm. He settled himself around her neck like a multi-colored scarf. When he seemed content, Ama leaned down and gave Zero a quick peck on the cheek.

"Let's blow this joint," she said, giving the only home she had known a last look. She was out the door before Zero.


	4. Wish You Were Here

**Haaay guiez here is some more. :D **

**Title refers to the totally amazing song by Pink Floyd.  
**

**R&R please :3  
**

* * *

They took a rapid-transit to Zero's district. Neither of them spoke for some time. Ama stared straight ahead, ignoring any attempts at conversation. Zero gave up and didn't press her. Cota seemed to be asleep, yet whenever a particularly loud sound was made, his ears swiveled toward the source.

His mind assessed the current situation. One, Ama was a biotic, but her powers were minimal at best. Two, he was bringing said biotic into his apartment, his very personal sanctuary. Even if they could figure something out quickly, she would be there for a considerable amount of time. This would doubtless turn his life on its head. A visit from friends would raise questions. And it's not like he could hide her in his closet.

Chuckling at the thought, Zero glanced over at the still figure next to him. Her eyes were now flickering around the transit car, analyzing the other passengers. She broke away to look at him.

"Thanks again. I won't be in your way for long, I can get in touch with some old friends," she explained.

"Old friends, are you sure you can trust them? Sounded to me like you knew that Rilumo guy," he countered.

"We were never friends," she glared. Zero held up a hand.

"Think a moment here. This doctor…" he drew out, hoping Ama would give a name. When she didn't, he continued. "Whatever his name is. Don't you think that by meeting up with anyone you knew from then, you could be walking into a trap? They found your place easily enough. You could have been watched for weeks, even months. Chances are they know who you meet up with, too."

Ama gave an exasperated sigh. "Your point? Should I just leave the Citadel, the only place I know? Not happening. No madman is making me leave. And, besides, they want me alive," she said with dark humor. A smirk played across her lips. "Maybe I could hire an assassin."

Zero blinked, not quite believing what he just heard. The innocent, friendly girl he had met in Chora's Den had a definite dark side to her. Not bad, all things considering. But the mention of hiring an assassin didn't sit well with him.

"Too expensive, hun. Why didn't you just tell those C-Sec men the truth?"

Ama shook her head violently. "No, I'm not getting involved. Making myself scarce is better. If they pull me into the investigation -- Did you just call me hun?" She asked, startled. Zero hadn't even realized he had.

"Er, sorry?"

She waved it off and finished her tirade of excuses. She knew little about the location of where she was being held. When she escaped, it had been through a haze of fear and adrenaline. She hadn't stopped to recognize landmarks. She'd just ran until she'd collapsed from exhaustion. Not just that, but she wouldn't be surprised if he had an informant among C-Sec. She was dead set on staying away from authorities unless the situation became dire. To Zero, it seemed pretty dangerous already, but he respected her wishes. But there was something off about her reasoning. He would wait until they had more privacy before questioning her about it.

He noticed a human couple staring at them, a look of disgust written plainly on their faces. Zero bristled, fixing them with a glare, and they turned away to whisper, probably about him.

Ama said something he didn't catch, but when he looked in her direction her eyes were closed. She had her knees up, head resting on her arms. Coda now perched on the top of her head, tiny claws grabbing onto her hair. She was whispering lyrics. Zero strained to listen.

"_So, so you think you can tell heaven from hell,_

_Blue skies from pain._

_Can you tell a green field from a cold steel rail?_

_A smile from a veil?_

_And did they get you to trade your heroes for ghosts?"_

Then she lowered her voice, and Zero couldn't decipher the rest. He left her in her own little world until their stop was next in line. He prodded her arm gently to snap her out of it. They arrived at their stop and shuffled off. Zero ignored the human couple who had turned to watch them leave.

As they ambled towards their destination, Ama took in her surroundings. Cota had his throat puffed, a sign it was scared. Ama patted the tiny head, looking at the restaurants and shops lining the area. A bustle of shoppers went to and fro, each set on their own objective.

"Nice, you get local shops. I have to leave the district to get decent food," she observed. Her mood seemed to have lightened since their conversation on the transit. They finally reached Zero's apartment, and he dramatically waved her in as the door whooshed open.

His apartment was a square of four rooms; an entrance room to entertain guests, an adjacent kitchen, an office behind that, and the bed room adjacent to the office and the guest room. Decorations in the guest room were limited to a few old pictures, a terminal and video screen, a couch and his gaming system. Cota began to taste the air, gathering information on his new refuge. He took off with a launch to stretch his cramped wings.

Ama tossed her bag by the lone couch. Doubting that he had any food she could eat, Zero went to check in the kitchen. His search proved mostly fruitless, but at least there was water. He kept looking, and was surprised to find a box of cereal hiding in the back of a cabinet, but on closer inspection it was old, very old. Fatigue was creeping into his body. He leaned against the wall, his body yelling at him to lay down. Would it be wise to sleep with someone you barely know in the other room? He needed answers.

As he entered the room, the light caught the metal of the blade. He froze. She hadn't seen him yet, and she concealed the small knife. Then out of her pack she pulled a bandage. Zero watched as she wrapped her wrist with it. By now she looked around, and she jumped slightly at the sight of him standing there.

"Hey. Bastard got me when I first tried to defend myself," she lied. This time Zero had no patience for her.

"I'm no fool, I saw the knife. _I don't like being lied to. _Why would you do that to yourself?" he said angrily. Ama's eyes widened at his voice, but she firmly set her jaw.

"To remember this day, and all other days that have changed my life."

"If I burned out an eye every time shit hit the fan, I'd be blind."

"That doesn't.. Look, it doesn't matter. You can't change me as much as I can't change you. It is what it is," she simply shrugged. Zero had an answer to that, but he didn't dare say it. Instead, he said, "I need some rest. Feel free to watch vids or… entertain yourself." He paused and pointed at Cota. "Is he potty trained?"

"Of course! He knows how to flush too," she grinned at him. He was bewildered.

"Uh, okay. I'll see you in a few hours," Zero padded to his room. He took off his eye patch and stared in the mirror. One yellow eye with a freakish pupil, the other a lidless horror of synthetics. He did not get a good replacement, but then again, his eye socket had taken a beating. He tore away from the mirror and rolled into bed, his muscles grateful for the feeling. Within minutes he was dreaming.

* * *

A gentle shake, then a rougher push pulled him out of his sleep. Zero woke with a start, surprised to see Ama perching on his bed. Apparently she was surprised to see him too, and then he remembered his eye patch was on the nightstand. He regretted not locking the door.

She stared at him for a moment, then handed him his patch.

"Someone's at the door," was all she said.

Zero got up and went over to the door. He pressed a button. "Who?"

"Arxus," was the reply. Zero wanted to die. He'd overslept, or Arxus didn't wait for work. He was stuck between a rock and a hard place. He couldn't just tell Arxus to go away, nor could he reveal Ama's presence.

"May I come in?" Arxus broke his frantic thoughts. He looked over his shoulder, but Ama wasn't in the room.

"Just a minute," he paged back, then went to find the girl. She was in the bedroom, hiding in the bathroom's shower. It was obvious she'd stay hidden. Zero went to let Arxus in. The older turian swept in, his black robes in stark contrast to his dark face and white clan markings. He sighed and looked at Zero.

"Thought I'd come tell you before work. Less nosy people," he nodded for Zero to take a seat next to him. At that instant he realized Ama's pack was still next to the couch. Arxus continued. "I'm taking a vacation. And I was thinking that, the one guy I trusted most out of my team was you. No other Lead can compare to you. Anyway, I want you to hold things down while I'm gone. It's only two weeks."

Zero registered all this while trying to stealthily push the pack out of sight with his foot. He stopped when he realized Arxus was waiting for him to speak.

"You can't find anyone else? Doesn't headquarters have a sub-director for this?"

Arxus shook his head. "Yes, yes, but you need the experience. I am confident nothing will happen in the next two weeks," he shifted. Zero went through a dozen excuses, but at that moment Cota decided to make himself known. A purple-blue head peeked out from under the couch. Arxus did a double take.

"What is that?"

"I just bought him. Cota," he called to the dragonet. Slipping the rest of his body out, the tiny beast stared at Arxus.

"Oh, how charming," he chuckled. It was then Cota slinked over to Ama's pack. Sticking his neck into the pack, he wiggled for a few moments. Zero bent down to pull him out.

"…And who's is that, Kizuaki? Am I interrupting something?" Arxus said slowly.

Cota pulled his head out, in his teeth clamped a bracelet. It was metal, with writing stamped into it. Cota chewed on it a second before spitting it at Zero's foot.

"Uh, no Director. Just helping a friend get back on her feet," he explained, picking up the bracelet. It read "L2-2166. Amara Fischer. (K. Modag)".

"Dr. Modag, huh? That has to…" he stopped and looked at Arxus. He knew he had to tell Arxus everything. As he explained the events that transpired, he thought how ironic his boss would be the one to find out. Arxus listened with a neutral expression. When Zero finished, Arxus nodded.

"And you think this Modag is the one responsible?" he asked, as if he had been in from the start as well. Zero's mandibles flared in surprise. He was genuinely impressed with the director's composed attitude. Zero noticed Cota was gone.

"Just send C-Sec after him," declared Arxus.

"It's not that easy," explained a strained Zero.

"I know a guy. We could go in and take him out."

"There's too much red-ta -- take him out? You mean murder him?" he said darkly.

Arxus gave him a look like he should know better. "I just don't see how that _wouldn't_ escalate," Zero added.

"Sometimes it's the best way. But you don't have to take my advice to heart," Arxus stood. "I am only someone with 25 years of experience on you," he chuckled. He started for the door and then called back, "I'll give you a week. Then you need to focus on replacing me." The door closed behind him before Zero could ask about the use of replace. He cursed and went to check on Ama, tailed by Cota who'd suddenly materialized by his feet. He started for the bathroom only to see her curled up on his bed. He thought about her reaction when she had seen his synthetic eye. She hadn't been frightened, just fascinated. Cota leapt up to join Ama as Zero padded over. She turned her head as he got closer.

"Good, you're awake. I wasn't out there _that _long," he said, sitting next to her. "That was my boss," explained Zero. "He thinks you should hire an assassin too. Maybe I'm the crazy one here." Ama smiled and Zero held up the bracelet. "Fischer, huh?"

She gasped and snatched it from his claws. "You went into my pack? What else did you see?" she said accusingly.

"Nothing," he shrugged. "And Cota pulled it out. Smart little guy." He scratched along Cota's spine, causing a fluid undulation along the dragonet's back. Ama relaxed and rolled over to sit up.

"How much would a hit cost?" For a second Zero thought she meant drugs, but then his mind zipped back to the doctor.

"A couple thousand, easy."

She groaned and put her hand to her face, massaging the temples. He resisted the urge to ask if she wanted a backrub. She needed to relax, but he was sure that wouldn't make her loosen up. Instead he pulled a bag out of his nightstand. He took out his glass pipe and held it up to Ama.

"Would you care for a smoke?"


	5. Setting The Hit Up

**The ending creeps closer. After this, I'm definitely keeping my hand out of writing. :3

* * *

**

They sat there in the hazy room. Zero passed on the pipe; work was an hour off and he wanted to be clear-minded when he met with Arxus. If he knew an assassin, perhaps it wouldn't be that bad. Yet the threat of it being traced back to him lingered in his mind. Next, the unsettling reminder that Arxus wanted him to replace him as director, eventually. The vacation would be a test, and he had a week to sort this out. He looked down at Ama, who was examining Cota's intricate scale pattern.

"I have to leave for work soon. I'm going to see about that hit for you," Zero told her.

"If it's over two thousand creds, forget it. I'll just kill him myself," she laughed sardonically.

"No, _you _forget it," was his response. He wanted to leave early to meet with Arxus, and he now sat up to stretch his muscles. He may have passed on the bowl, but that didn't mean it didn't affect him. The room needed ventilation, so he opened the door to the guest room and let air circulate. Cota glided past Zero to land on the living room couch. He went back to sit on the bed.

"Before I leave, a few rules while you stay here," he planted a trifingered hand on her shoulder to make sure she was listening closely. "First, please don't leave this apartment, because you won't be able to get back in. Second, and most important, no more lying to me. If I can't trust you, how can I let you live in my place?" He let go of her to pull her sleeve up, revealing the bandaged wrist. "Also, no self mutilation or whatever you want to call it." He pulled it out to examine closer. Aside from the cotton wrapping over the fresh cut, a ladder of horizontal scars marched down her arm. Zero felt sick. But he had seen worse. He let her arm drop.

"You sound like a worried mother," she whispered. "I'm sorry it bothers you so much." Much to the surprise of the turian, she leaned over to hug him. Warmth raced through him, and he squeezed back. He ran a hand down her back and felt the vertebrae of her spine. She broke before he got lower and raised a brow at him. Then Zero realized he should have checked the base of her neck for the telltale biotic implant. He mentally punched himself. He stood and announced it was time for work.

"Can you bring some food back? I haven't eaten since that soup," she pulled out credits and tossed them to him.

"Where did you hide th -- Okay, what kind of human food? Waffles?"

She put a hand to her chin in thought. "Mmm, yeah. Just get whatever, I'm not picky." He remembered the metabolism of a biotic and winced. He pulled on the shoes that would cushion the impact of daily wear on his talons. He left with one last warning to Ama, reminding her to behave. She shot back that she was probably older than him. He shrugged and headed out the door. Cota squeaked a greeting as he moved past the couch.

* * *

Heart pounding all on the way, Zero wondered if Arxus really did know an assassin. It seemed like he knew nothing about the director. When he arrived, he went straight to Arxus' office. His boss waved him to a seat and gave Zero a cheerful grin.

"Hello Kizukai. I trust you thought about my advice?" When Zero explained it's what Ama had wanted to do it originally, Arxus slid a file across the desk for Zero to examine.

"Bacat Copic, that's what he goes by. He's clean and thorough." The photo of the turian glared at him. The assassin's face markings made it seem as if a skull was staring back at you. Nothing else could give away his identity; his eyes were concealed behind goggles and he wore a black hood. Arxus waved his hand excitedly.

"I think I can get him down to a thousand. Modag is a small timer, it looks like. I did some research after I left," he pushed a new profile at Zero. "I even got floor plans for him. Almost too easy," he crossed his arms.

"Why would you be willing to risk everything to help me out?" Zero wanted to know.

Arxus sighed and studied him before speaking. "It's because I haven't seen you care about someone like this since…" he trailed off. Zero knew he meant his foster mother. Arxus went on. "And, I need you in good conscience for the upcoming project."

Zero cringed. "What if I don't want to do this? Not just the vacation, but you were hinting about me replacing you. I don't want that responsibility," he finished quietly. Arxus' mandibles flared but he acquiesced.

"It's your life, and I won't force you. I just thought you'd want to be something more than a Lead. I'll still help you out though, no need to worry," he collected the files and shredded them. "I'll let Copic know. Just make sure you get me those credits soon." Zero thanked him sincerely.

"You don't know how much this means to me," he started, clasping the director's hand. Arxus waved him off.

"Stop, just stop. Get to work and then get back to your girlfriend." He turned away to stare out the window, and Zero knew he was dismissed. Zero had time to relax so he went to the break room, hoping to see some friendly faces. He met up with Pavek and Barkley, who were amused to see him twenty minutes early.

"What's the matter? Couldn't wait to see me again?" Barkley greeted Zero. Pavek nodded to him, holding up a picture.

"Check this one out. Smart, beautiful, and she has a thing for characters like you," he handed Zero the picture. A curvy asari gazed at him, her clothes doing nothing to hide what she flaunted. He threw the picture back at Pavek.

"Keep that junk away from me," he chided. "You know me better than that." He knew his friend was trying to get a rise out of him. In fact, he doubted if Pavek had actually met this particular asari. He might as well tell him about Ama just to get him off his back about it.

"Look, I know you want to know about this girl," he growled. He took a seat, glancing about to make sure no one else was around. "Truth being, I don't think she likes me like _that, _although I'm hoping she does_. _But she needs my help," he then went through the rough details. He didn't tell them about the hit. Instead, he just shrugged that he was at a loss.

"A biotic who can't use dark energy?" Barkley laughed. "Zero, calm down. Sounds like the threat is over. And," he added with a leer. "She let you touch her. That's a good sign."

Pavek listened with quiet intent. He then leaned forward, fixing Zero with his blue eyes. "Never thought you would go for a human. She sounds like a handful. Maybe that's what you need, someone to take care of. Then you'll _have _to take care of yourself."

That wasn't necessarily true, but he had a point. Zero sighed in defeat.

"I didn't ask for advice, I just told you to get you to shut up," he stood. "I'll introduce you… one day. For now, leave off it and let's get this job over and done with."

The three of them made their way to the briefing room, joking like old times. Deep in his gizzard, he knew this wouldn't last.

* * *

Groceries in tow, Zero entered his apartment tired and burnt out. He'd stopped at the bank to transfer the credits to Arxus, and went shopping for Ama. Human food was a mystery to him, so he'd asked the human working there to help him pick some out.

Putting the food away, he listed off the items to Ama, who was reclining on the couch.

"Peanut butter, those damned waffles, uh, some fruit?" He held up the food in question. "Pasta, bread, eggs, pizza which I was told was a favorite," he chuckled. Ama nodded at him and got up to help put things away. When they were done, Zero told her the hit was good to go.

"How much?"

"Free," he lied. He was surprised it came so easily. He was ashamed, slightly. Her eyes got big and she cocked her head.

"Really? Wow. Your boss is amazing!" She seemed like she wanted to say more, as she worked at biting her lip. He coaxed her on.

"This means I could go back to my apartment, doesn't it?" she muttered. He nodded solemnly. She chuckled and leaned against him. "Maybe not yet. You did so much to help me out," she sighed. "How can I repay you?"

He'd heard that line enough to get the underlining meaning. He would have blushed if he could.

"You don't have to if you don't want to," he shook his head. "I know I'm scary to look at. And I might hurt you." She furrowed her brows.

"What do you mean?" Then a look of comprehension dawned on her face and she gaped at him. "Ooh! I meant… I don't know what I meant, but I didn't have _that_ in mind when I said it. It's not like I haven't thought of it, though," she said, bemused. "I didn't think you rolled that way." They sat in silence for a second before Zero started to laugh.

"We're like schoolchildren with a crush on each other," he reached out to pet Cota, who had just leapt onto the counter. He said it before the subject became stale.

"…Do you really want to?"

"You know, I think we both need it," she quipped as they made their way to his room.

* * *

**Yes, I actually wrote a scene for that. But I know many of us girls enjoy turians 3  
**

**I'll keep it out of here, though, for your sake.**.** if you're interested, you can email me and I'll send you the uncut chapter.**


	6. You know him?

**So the end draws neigh. I felt like maybe I'm putting too much useless words in there.**

**Mass Effect, geth, turians, etc etc belong to Bioware.  
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**When Zero woke, Ama was tenderly feeling her new scratches. He offered medigel, but she refused.

"It's a badge of honor," she said seriously.

Zero snickered, "You're such a little krogan."

She bared her teeth at him. Cota puffed this throat and hissed. Ama flicked his leg.  
She asked tenderly, "Can I tell you something about Cota?" The 20 inch dragonet sprawled across her lap. "I don't remember getting him. It's just like… he's always been with me, frozen with me," Cota yawned as she pulled out an iridescent wing. "And, somehow the little bugger channels my dark energy. If I have him with me, I can actually push things."

Zero stared at the blue-green mystery creature, dumbfounded.  
"That's incredible," he managed. "What a lucky guy."  
He leaned over and flicked Cota on the flank lightly. The spiteful bastard leaped at Zero, or actually his bandana. He tore at it with tiny teeth and claws. Ama pulled him away, scolding him. The bandana survived the attack and Zero had to laugh.

* * *

They dressed and cooked themselves breakfast…or was it lunch? The turian and human made the respected dextro- and levo-amino acid based foods. Over their plates, Zero divulged his love for human music. They were talking about a certain local band and cleaning up when the door buzzed. Zero moved over to the panel, pressing the speaker button.

"Yes?"

"Arxus."

There was no point in telling Ama to hide, since Arxus knew about her. Zero let him in, irritated and curious. The director sauntered in, up to Cota lounging back of the couch. He followed the dragonet's gaze to the human in the kitchen. The mutual looks of surprised recognition gave them away. Yet Arxus feigned ignorance. He introduced himself. Zero wasn't deterred.

"How do you know him?" He asked the girl directly. Her eyes widened, yet it was Arxus who replied. He was amused.

"She asked me to draw her." Ama looked relieved. It was suspicious, but Zero would squeeze it out of her later. His boss continued, "I said no of course. But I'm not here for this." He bowed to her. "Your pest has been eliminated." He handed her the article analyzing the quiet passing of the doctor.

She grinned then looked thoughtful. "I just hope your contact was clean. Doing it for free… how charitable of him." Zero flinched as Arxus shook his head.

"Free? No, he charged a thousand. But that's basically free. Do you know how much you'd normally pay? Add another zero or two," he glared at the younger turian. Ama cocked her head at him too, then turned to Arxus.

"And why would -- how could you get him down to that?"

"You'd have to ask him that. It's the price he gave," the director of biohazard containment quipped. She narrowed her eyes at him, but she added, "Well, tell Bacat I said hello."  
Arxus chuckled and left, pausing only to tell Zero he was off until the time of substitution as manager. Zero reminded him he wasn't training to replace him, he was only covering him.

"Doing it for two weeks will drive me insane enough." Arxus grumbled and left.

Ama stared after him, shaking her head. She flopped onto the couch.

"A thousand makes no sense." Zero ignored her comment and focused on her.

"How do you know him? And don't lie, you're easy to read." She groaned.

"Exactly what he said. I wanted to draw him, he thought I was a weirdo, the end."

Zero cracked his knuckles, "Tell me or I'll make you regret it."

"You wouldn't," she smirked up at him. "I'll sick my dragon on you!"  
Not convinced, Zero pinned her to the couch. He rested his claws on her sides. He'd learned which spots were sensitive. She pulled away from his touch, and in response he pressed her sides, tickling her. She writhed underneath him.

"Tell me," he offered to end the torture. She kneed him but he was unfazed. More flailing limbs hit him. Instead of coming to her aid, Cota took wing, chattering noisily.  
Finally, she cried defeat. She took a few moments to breath, trying to crawl out of his reach.

"I used to work with him," she muttered. She clasped her knees.

He crossed his arms, "Explain."

"Before being frozen, he was training me."

"For what?" Zero growled.

She was silent for a long time.  
"I was going to be an assassin." Zero's mandibles flared. He froze.

"Why are you fucking with me? An assassin?"

"He was, but if he lived this long then he isn't anymore. But I didn't get the chance. Ask him about it," she tried to appease him. He grinned and pointed at her.

"I know you for all of… three days? I'm just astounded at how misleading you are. And I thought my life was fucked up." He put a hand on the back of her neck, bold enough to feel her implant. "Here's what I find interesting; You haven't even asked about the code for the door. Don't you have to go to work?"

"I make my own hours fixing terminals, so calm down!" She touched his hand. After a moment his anger ebbed. He got up and went into the kitchen. Alcohol was necessary. Cota perched on the top of the refrigerator. The shiny metal reflected the intense hue from the dragonet's scales. Zero pulled out a bottle, not bothering for a glass.

Ama stood and shouldered her pack, watching him through windows set in the walls to the kitchen. "You need a break from me, so I'm going to work." She gave him a hug as he walked into the room.  
"You don't want to drink?" He took a gulp of the turian brew.

"_That_? Hell no. I need to make some creds to pay you back. What's the door code?"

He sank onto the couch. "Consider it a gift for making this week interesting."

"Just tell me the code," she nudged him. He relented and gave her the numbers. Cota sailed down onto Ama's shoulders.  
"Bringing him?" Zero indicated the scaly ornament.  
She thought for a minute, then pulled him off. She looked into the neon green eyes and addressed him.

"Take care of Zero, okay? Make sure he doesn't do anything he'll regret." She flung him into the air, the tiny lizard with wings fluttered over to Zero. He'd always wondered how much intelligence lay in that tiny brain. Ama sat next to him on the arm of the couch, snapping him out of his puzzlement.

"I know I'm not what I seem, and I know it's a lot to handle. Think on it. I won't be offended if you want me to go," she smiled and gave him a peck on the cheek. He started to deny that he wanted her gone, but she was already walking out the door.

* * *

He was laying in his bed wondering if this was a blessing in disguise or curse . He could still smell the scent from the previous "night". He was taunted by it. He ended up changing his bedding and inhaling the bottle quicker than anticipated. He lay in a stupor with Cota curled on his chest.

"I wonder if she's just using me," he said darkly. To his surprise, Cota lifted his head up and shook it in a definite negative. He fixated on Zero.  
"No? Then what is it with her?" He took another drink from the bottle. Cota did not say anything, as expected, but instead slunk up to Zero and gave him a rough lick on the mouth. Zero spat, wondering if Cota was miming Ama's intensions or tasting the liquor. He sat up and the dragonet sunk his claws into the bandana to keep his place. He was deciding whether or not to leave him there when a someone hammered on the door. He took one last chug before getting off the bed, sauntering to the door.

"What?"

"C-Sec. Is… Ama Bisch available?" Zero let out a bark of laughter at her assumed name. That was definitely not on her business card.

"She doesn't live here," he swayed on his feet, then leaned against the wall. He glanced at the bottle to find it was nearly empty. He cursed in turian, then realized Cota was still latched onto his bandana. He cackled.

"May we come in? We have a few follow up questions for you."

Instantly, he became aware that he had not given them his address. Of course they could pull it up, but he also not given a last name. Nor had Ama. His brain was on high alert, yet he was woefully inebriated.

"No, I'm very busy," he stressed. "I'll stop by later."  
With that, he closed the channel. He didn't care if they were actually C-Sec, though he doubted it. He may have been drunk, but he wasn't ignorant.

"Just leave me alone, fuckers," he snarled to no one. Cota launched off him in an impressive backwards aerial flip.  
"Not you, silly. Those guys dogging your girl," he thumbed towards the door. Cota chattered at him, his meaning lost on Zero.

Too intoxicated to play video games that required coordination, the turian turned on the vid screen for the first time in days. He lounged for a bit , then got up to get something to soak up the booze. When he returned, his show had been replaced by a news bulletin. The girl reporting seemed terrified, her hand holding the mic shaking. She stood in the Presidium, the fake sky cheerful and sunny.

"--ports of an incoming fleet are unclear. Whatever it is, the Citadel forces are on the move. It is recommended everyone stay in their homes. Again, those just tuning in: The Citadel appears to be under attack from an unknown adversary."

Zero listened for a few more moments intently when something happened onscreen. The mysterious monument left by the Protheans, resembling a mass relay, light up. The reporter turned in surprise, mouth agape. Seconds later, chaos. A horror emerged, inorganic and unfeeling. They had weapons, and started using them on every single being in sight. The reporter screamed in agony as she was hit with a bolt of blue that tore her arm and shoulder off. The camera cut out.

Cota began to keen.


	7. See Spot Run

**The final conclusion draws near! Read & Review if you've enjoyed it so far. :3  
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**Mass Effect; asari, turians, geth, biotics, etc belong to Bioware.**

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Where would one find a broken terminal? Searching from terminal to terminal was simply out of the question. His brain sobered quickly, yet his body remained intoxicated. His mouth was dry and his temples throbbed. Zero hastily packed rations, credits and clothes in a bag, dropping things in his haste. He strapped his blade to his thigh, not caring if it was in plain view. If the Citadel was under siege, then staying put was not a good idea.

But first things first, he had to find Ama. He knew she could take care of herself, but he felt responsible. Also, she'd left Cota with him, so she couldn't even use her dark energy to the fullest extent. Not that she could wield it for self defense, anyway. Zero frantically thought of how he would find her. He briefly regretted not putting a tracer on her. Then a moment of revelation. He smiled broadly, his sharp teeth exposed, at the miniature dragon perched on the couch, watching Zero with passing interest.

"Cota, can you find Ama?" he rasped. Cota perked his ears at him, tilting his head. Then he leapt into the air at Zero, chirruping wildly. He made several passes at the door, clawing at it every pass. Zero snatched up the pack and opened the door, following the blur of blue-purple as it shot out and banked right. Cota slowed enough for Zero to catch up, berating him to keep up. Zero wobbled on his feet, talons clicking on the hard floor. Cota's tiny nostrils flared as he tracked the scent of his owner.

The situation became puzzling as Cota led Zero to his place of work. Landing before the doors, the dragonet danced impatiently for Zero to open the doors. When they swished upwards, the tiny beast flung himself in. The trail led to the director's office. Zero was bemused. He entered without knocking, not knowing what to expect.

There they sat, so deep in conversation that neither of them noticed his abrupt entrance. He swayed a bit before resting against the closed door.

"—just had the feeling something wasn't right when Zero said it was for free. Even a thousand… Get bored much?" Ama was giggling, and then she straightened up. "You know, he's mad at me now. I need to stop lying so much."

Arxus was leaned back, arms supporting his head. "I just taught you too well, I guess. Don't worry, he'll come around. I've never seen him so intent on…" he trailed off, staring at the colorful dragonet scrabbling across the floor.

He had spotted Zero now, and waved him in. The younger turian sat down on a desk next to the wall, adjacent to their chairs.

"Why hello there," winked Ama. Neither of them seemed to be aware the Citadel was under attack. He almost spouted it out right away, but he didn't want to piss on their parade.

"Hello, hello," he nodded her, then to Arxus. "Thanks for almost teaching her how to become an assassin. Really, I would have never guessed," he shook his head in defeat. "So you were the one who taught her to lie, too? Any other bombs you want to drop?"

Arxus laughed to the ceiling. "Yes, one more. I'm Bacat Copic. I love you _that_ much."

Zero face palmed, "You know, I'm not even surprised. But I have to ask; how did you know my Ama was the same one?"

The director pointed at Cota, "No one else in this galaxy has a pet like that. When I saw him pop his head out from under your couch, I almost didn't believe it. But then he pulled out that bracelet, and I knew that the girl who went missing so long ago was alive. It couldn't have been anyone else." With that, he clapped Zero on the back and leaned in to whisper in his ear. "She's a keeper, even if she's a mediocre biotic."

"I'm right here, asshole!" She kicked him in the leg. Arxus retreated as Cota warned him with a loud hiss. He ducked behind Zero and snickered.

"You know, we she first met me, she was terrified of me. Might have been what I'd said… something about fresh meat."

She smirked at him. "No, it was your _face_. It took me weeks to get used to it." The girl cocked her head at him as he chuckled, "Look who's talking!"

"So sorry to interrupt, but you might want to turn on the news," Zero said gruffly. He moved over to turn it on, a voice-over repeating the message to stay inside. The vid screen replayed the reporter's last few minutes, not bothering to cut out her death. Ama shot up.

"Geth?!" she cried. The turians looked at her questioningly. She waved a hand at the screen. "Don't you hear it? Those voices, and their glowing flashlight heads! They have to be geth. We need to get out of here." She wasted no time in making for the door, grabbing her pack frantically. Zero pulled her back, winding an arm around her shoulders.

"And go where? Another arm of the Citadel? If this district isn't safe, then what makes you think elsewhere is?"

"We should leave the Citadel," she pleaded. "They wouldn't just come here without a good reason!" She tried to pull out of Zero's grasp, but he held fast.

"Shhh, easy. Why don't we just go to another arm?" he whispered into her ear. "Besides, they said a fleet was heading this way. Leaving would only attract attention, maybe get us killed. I'm not about to let us die."

Arxus stepped forward, clearing his throat gruffly. "When you two are done, we can take my personal transit to a different section if that would make you feel better," he indicated at Ama. She stopped resisting Zero's embrace and nodded at the director. Zero nuzzled her neck, his way of showing reassurance.

Arxus clapped his hands together and rubbed them, "Thank the galaxy I have a stockpile in case of something like this." He moved over to his desk and pulled it away from the wall. He kneeled and removed a tile, revealing a small cache of weapons. He pulled out a pistol and handed it to the human.

"Can you shoot?" She nodded. Then he doled out the rest of the goodies between Zero and himself. He gave Zero a shotgun and a pistol, keeping the exotic looking assault rifle for himself. He strapped a pistol to his hip. They sat there until they all agreed on a game plan. It was not guaranteed to be a safe haven, but it was the best chance they had.

* * *

Upon exiting the Hazmat Center, Cota began chattering at Ama.

"Something's coming," she translated. They ducked in an alley, conveniently stacked with empty crates. They huddled beside a large container on its side. Zero shoved Ama into the container, motioning for her to stay put. He leaned close to her to question her.

"Can you understand Cota?" Zero whispered. She looked at her pet questioningly, brow raised. Arxus grinned smugly as Cota bobbed his tiny triangular head.

"We're linked, remember? Telepathy, if you will. Modag was playing around with organic amplifiers, and they had unexpected side effect," she said nonchalantly. It was anything but.

"Cota was engineered? How is that possible?" Zero pressed. Arxus nudged him to keep silent.

"It's not. I don't know. He's always been," she murmured. "I can't explain it beyond that. Now be quiet." It was a few minutes of intense waiting. Zero was shifting his leg, pins and needles prickling, when they all heard the mechanical chattering. They pressed further back. In seconds, a pair of bipedal creatures similar in anatomy to a quarian stamped from the direction the trio was heading in. Had they not been hiding, they would have run right into the death machines. They stopped before the alley.

Their flashlight-like heads scanned the area as if they knew someone was hiding. Zero's finger hovered over the trigger of his shotgun, pulse quickening. The synthetic constructs began to move into the alley, and then changed their minds. They moved on. The group of organics stayed put for a while to make sure it was all clear. Then Ama sent Cota out to scout.

The little dragonet flew vertically to the top of the building, tail lashing over the edge as he disappeared. In a few seconds he was back, giving the all clear.

"They're already at the end of the next corridor," Cota commented through Ama. The turians stood, shaking out their legs as the human crawled out of the crate.

"Why do I have to hide? I can use my biotics, you know." She got no response as she stretched out, sore from sitting inside the crate. They poked their heads out of the alley cautiously, but it was indeed all clear. They moved off in their intended direction, Cota flying high and hugging the buildings to keep an eye out. The rest of their trip was mostly uneventful.

They moved on into a once populated area close to the docking bay. They slowed at the sight of dozens of bodies strewn across the square. The once peaceful courtyard was marred; forms still sat on benches, a merchant slumped over the counter with his customer, a mother holding her unrecognizable child. Plasma burns contorted features, some beings reduced to a smear on the floor. Others were not killed by weapons.

"Rest in peace," Ama muttered, not daring to study any of the bodies too closely. None of them wanted to see anyone they knew. Footing became treacherous as the floor became slick with the mingled rainbow of several species blood. The geth seemed to have moved on, and the trio crossed the square as fast as possible without slipping on the blood.

Nearing the port in which Arxus kept his craft, Ama began getting jittery. Cota shared her nervousness, ears swiveling in every direction. They made their way warily across the open square when a bolt of blue plasma sizzled at their feet. Creaking voices seemed to laugh at them as they jumped. A pair faced the trio, the synthetics dark silver armor catching the light.

Luckily for them, Ama was hidden from immediate sight behind the bulk of the two turians. Zero felt, rather than saw, the hum of energy building. The geth wasted no time targeting the organics, ready to blast them to oblivion. As they fired, Ama shoved forward sending a wave of dark energy. The geth lost their footing at they slid on the mix of lifeblood, the plasma narrowly missing the target. Zero felt the scorch of it on his leg, but the precious seconds gave him time to blast a gaping hole into a synthetic's chest. White conductive fluid sprayed in a fine mist. Arxus used his rifle to take the curved head off the other. Ama added her pistol to the choir, silencing the sounds of their mechanical death throes. They felt no pain, and no sympathy was wasted on the devils.

"Think there's more around here?" Ama breathed. Her exertion had drained her, Zero thought as he let her lean on him. Zero glanced at Cota. The dragonet's colors danced wildly across his scales. The hues swirled as if the pigments themselves were alive. His little blue tongue lolled as he panted.

Arxus cast a look around, "Yes, there probably is, but none in this vicinity." They all threw glances over their shoulders as they moved across the field of the massacre. Three geth bodies now lay among the corpses of dozens of organics.

They made their way into an elevator that was surprisingly still working. The slow descent gave them time to collect themselves. Zero examined his leg, a minor flesh wound. He slathered medigel on it and grumbled, wondering if they were going to walk right into a nest of geth. Weapons were reloaded.

"Too bad Barkley wasn't at work when we were. Could've used him," he wondered if his friend was still alive. Other faces flitted through his mind.

Whispers of a turian Spectre named Saren reemerged from his mind. There had been rumors of him going rogue. Was this siege linked with Saren's turn to the dark side? Zero shook his head to clear the thoughts. It didn't matter. What mattered was getting somewhere where there were like to be less casualties.

As the elevator reached the floor of the docking bays, they knelt with weapons readied. The doors slid open and an empty hallway greeted them. As they neared the checkpoint, they froze. A geth was sitting in the checkpoint booth. Yet it didn't budge - the lights were off. Upon closer inspection, he was a very dead geth. Ama laughed as they passed on. No other signs of a struggle were seen.

Just before the corner to the ship, they stopped. Zero nudged Ama away further back into the hallway, away from the corner. He gestured for her to stay put. Arxus peered around the edge, then quickly turned back.

"There's an asari," he whispered. "Waiting for somebody, looks like." He ducked his head around again, verifying that no other ships were still docked. "Probably us." He leaned closer to Zero. "I'm going to see what she wants. Wait until I find out if she's friend or foe." He settled his robes so his pistol was hidden.

Zero shook his head. "We can stand here all day arguing, but I won't let you go uncovered. She's probably a skilled biotic." Arxus may have been an assassin, but he was out of his league. The both of them together stood more of a chance.

Then Ama pushed between them to peer around the corner. When she pulled back, her face was grim. She set her jaw. "She's here for me." She put an arm aroud Zero.

"I'm going to try and distract her. When you get a chance, _shoot_. Keep shooting until she's down. Her shields can't last forever," She looked at them through glassy eyes and half-smiled. She stared at Cota; the color of his scales swirled slowly. Looking up at Zero, she put her hands on either side of his head and pulled him more to her level. She rested her forehead against his.

"I'll be okay."


	8. Forgive and Forget

**Aaah so Mass Effect 2 is here! Sorry for the delay, I sort of lost my momentum.**

**Reading back, the last like.. 4 chapters, I kept saying it was ending soon. LMFAO  
**

**Anyway ****I went back to drawing for a bit. :D**

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Darya had been an assistant of Doctor Modag. The scientist had trained her to make the experiments feel welcome; she was basically a counselor. When Ama had woken, it was Darya who had greeted her. She trusted the asari, until they strapped her to a table. We have to fix you, they'd said. Her confidence in the asari destroyed, she hadn't blinked twice when she'd kicked Darya in the throat. Despite her small stature, Ama had been trained by Arxus in close combat, and it was those lessons that filled her mind at the time. She wondered if the asari had come to return the favor.

"Darya," the human shouted as she ambled down the path. Arxus's ship stood off to the left, cheerfully inviting the group to enter it and take off. The only thing between them and safety was this asari. Zero ground his teeth as Darya turned and looked Ama up and down. Cota was sitting in Ama's hood, peeking around her at the stranger. A smirk played across the asari's lips.

"By the goddess, if it isn't little Amara!" She drew closer, like a shark circling prey. "The last time I saw you, you were making people fly into walls, and biting guards. Never did figure out how you made it out," she pretended to study her nails, while the other hand slipped into a pocket. Ama tensed, ready for a fight. Instead, the asari smiled at her genuinely.

"Please don't misunderstand me. While I'm still resentful of you for what you did to Modag, I'm not here to pass judgment. It's too late for that." She pulled out a small disk and held it out for Ama. "You've earned your freedom, unlike some of us. Take this, and discover yourself again."

Ama went to take it, but the asari pulled it back at the last second.

"I want to know one thing, though. Why? He gave you life again. You were given a second chance. Modag just wanted to fix you," she seemed sincerely hurt. But Ama's eyes flashed.

"A second chance, huh?" She put her hands on her hips. Her voice was low and seeped with anger. "I was never given an option. I was never asked if I wanted to be cured. I never had a choice, and that's why I ran. Maybe I was _ready_ to die."

Darya stood for a second before laughing. She put her hands on her ribs as if the effort hurt. Ama decided she was no threat and signaled the turians to relax. Cota crawled from the hood to perch on a shoulder.

"An assassin with brittle bones and months left to live? Besides, no one's ever ready to die," she tsked. "Well, you weren't given a choice, and you're here now. Would you go back and say no, if you knew you'd be here now? You seem to be better off, if my eyes don't deceive me."

The deadly blue lady nodded down the hallway, the way the human had come from.

"I saw your teacher poke his head out. And you guys were 'whispering' loud enough that if there were still geth around, they'd flock to you. Lucky for you guys, I wiped the floor with those synthetic thugs," she shrugged, and then waved. "Bring them out. I want to see."

Ama called them out. A few seconds passed before they emerged around the corner, tentatively making their way forwards. Darya continued as they neared.

"If you had stayed to train with Arxus, then you wouldn't be with Zero." She grinned at Ama and then Zero as the turians stopped beside the human. Darya inspected them too, Zero more closely.

"Nice eye; and that pupil! A mutation, I presume?" Darya felt his face.

Ama interrupted her inspection with uncertainty. "How do you know about us? Are you still tailing me?" Ama sighed. The asari stopped her with a gesture.

"An interesting couple, but now is not the time. Perhaps, later, we can become reacquainted. I owe you that. But now, Saren has led an army against the Citadel. You need to get going, or stay and fight. I am with the latter. I don't know about you guys; but this is my home, and I will protect it."

Ama remembered Saren; death on a pale horse. Once, she had been in a café and had spotted the legendary Spectre. He'd been at a table with a Matriarch, quietly discussing something. She'd almost asked if she could draw him, but he scared her too much. Even the krogan, Wrex, hadn't been so imposing. She'd only watched him from afar, both awed and terrified of him. It had been a quiet hour at The Jaded Elcor, and Ama thought she was inconspicuous to the pair. But, he had turned to face her and given her a look of hatred so deep that she inwardly cringed. Yeah, he hated humans. A lot.

"You know, it's eerie. When I first saw Saren, I thought, "So much blind rage towards humans, if he's not careful it could turn him into a monster," Ama shook her head. "What a prediction. What a shame." The asari nodded in agreement. Then she took the girl by surprise by hugging her swiftly.

"I've always admired the spark in you. Don't snuff it out," she spoke softly as she turned away from her.

"By the way," she paused briefly, and glanced at Zero. "If he doesn't take good enough care of you, I'll take you away." With that, she inclined her head in a final farewell. The asari moved down the hallway until she disappeared around the bend.

Ama stood dumbly. Cota took wing. She started to turn around when strong arms grabbed her; she was unable to move.

Zero was hugging her from behind. The girl felt vibrations from him, almost as if…

"Are you purring?" she asked incredulously.

"Purring?" he asked, uncomprehending. She shook her head and melted into his arms again with a sigh.

"I thought she was going to kill me. Instead, she… she forgave me," she held up the disk to study, and continued on. "What I thought I knew, in reality I know nothing." She slipped the disk into her pack.

"Don't start, waffles," Zero massaged her shoulders. Suddenly, the ground shook in a violent tremor. When everything shook, and you were on a massive self-contained space station, it usually meant something bad -- really bad, had happened.

"Come on, let's go before the whole place blows up. Arxus is waiting on us." He prodded her down the corridor to the ship, the engines humming. It was a ship of turian design, and the doors slid open for the pair as they neared. A prerecorded voice announced decontamination was in progress. Locked within the room for some minutes, Zero tried to fool around with the girl. Ama slapped him away.

"There are cameras in here, you perv," she groaned.

"I know. I want him to watch," he chuckled.

"You're gross," she flipped him off. Her word was law, and he gave up his efforts.

The door finally slid open and they entered the personal craft.

* * *

Zero was delighted to see two familiar faces. He threw his arms up in joy, nearly skipping into the arms of Barkley. The burly man let out a boom of laughter, wincing as the turian collided with him.

"Easy there, you crazy pirate, I'm hurt."

"Are there one or two girls in front of me? I can't tell… too much flailing," Pavek grinned. He bowed to Ama, who hung back nervously. "Finally, we meet. Thank you for taking care of my friend here." He cuffed Zero lightly. Ama timidly greeted them both.

"I told them to meet us here," Arxus boasted. "Barkley, you're injured? I assume you ran into geth on your way over?"

Barkley nodded solemnly. "We barely missed a bloodbath at the public square." He turned and exposed his back, a medium sized stain of crimson shining in the dim light. "That plasma goes through armor like it was paper."

Pavek fished out linen bandages and tossed them to him. Then he went in search of an adequate supply of medi-gel. Arxus wasted no time in preparing the craft for lift-off, then turned back to Barkley.

"Ruark… where is he?"

The big black man shook his head. He pulled his mouth back into a grimace, his voice cracking. "He didn't make it. That krogan… I've never seen someone take so much damage and still return fire."

As they hung their heads in memory, Ama slunk into the private room in the back of the ship, collapsing on the bed. She shook from the stress of the day's events. Cota unfurled from his perch to land beside her, shaking himself out. Zero stalked in after her.

"You okay?"

"Yeah, I'm just a little tired. What about you? Your leg…"

Zero looked down at his calf where the plasma had slightly crisped his skin. He shrugged and crawled next to her, Cota nestling between them.

"I'm better off than most people," he sighed after he settled into a comfortable spot. The girl reached out to flick up his patch, staring at his synthetic eye. The blue implant stared back.

"Why don't you get a new one?"

"My eye socket is beyond repair, at least any repairs that I can afford," he flipped the patch back down. He cocked his head at her, mandibles flicking nervously. "Er, I have to ask," he paused, trying to spit the words out. "Did… anything ever happen between you and Arxus?" His voice became lower as the sentence went on, and he basically whispered the last word. Ama stared at him blankly, and then broke into a smirk.

"Of course not! Don't you remember me telling you I was _terrified_ of him? I mean, yeah, after a while we were friends; but it was never like that. He showed me how to fight, not how to make sexy time."

In an instant the smaller figure had pinned down the larger one. He tried to sit up, but she pressed her knees into his chest. He was surprised at the force behind the light frame. Zero stared up at her trying not to smile.

"You know," he mused. "The day we met, the Citadel started to fall apart and explode."

She leaned down to lick him teasingly.

Then she burst out in song.

"_Because I only have eyes for youuuuuu!" _

The door slid open and Barkley surveyed the couple sprawled together. He chuckled at her singing, catching them off guard. When Ama turned her head to see the source of the interruption, Zero took the chance to turn the tables. He used his weight advantage to pin her.

"Can we help you?"

"We're leaving. You guys might want to come up front to see the view. Oh, and I don't think Arxus would want his bed being used for… things. Not if it's not him," Barkley told them, shaking his head as he left. Zero glanced down at the girl with a mischievous glint in his eye and he found himself humming a tune that stuck in his head. It was the song Ama had been singing on the transit ride, though the title eluded him.

Ama had her eyes closed when she whispered, "Did I ever tell you how much I love your voice? That extra layer of flanging goodness." She made a happy sound as she nuzzled him. Zero was content to lay there, but he reluctantly rolled off the bed when he remembered Barkley's suggestion.

They both made their way up to the window in the front of the craft. Everything rocked to and fro as they lifted off. As they backed away from port, they saw a collection of geth bodies on the roof and thrown across to other docks. Ama let out a loud giggle.

"Darya always did have fun with the bodies," she remarked, remembering the times they shared in Modag's lab. She shook her head, clearing the images away. He deserved what he got… right?

The personal craft soared higher, building becoming squares now. Arxus keyed in a destination for a close arm of the Citadel. The computer began beeping an alarm for evacuation of the Citadel.

"A little too late for that, now isn't it?" snapped Arxus as he muted the alert.

As they gained altitude, the needle in the very center of the Citadel came within view. It was a grand spectacle.

Everyone gasped, or made noises the equivalent of, at the sight before them. Resting atop the peak of the needle, where the Presidium and Council Chambers lay, was a massive dreadnought.

"It's… a giant cuttlefish," gaped Ama. The dark red ship perched over the needle, it's mechanical tentacles grasping for purchase along the edges. Beams of energy arched off the thing, leaping out into space. How the weight of the thing didn't crack the needle in two was beyond them. Pavek whistled.

"You have _got _to be shittin' me," Barkley said.

Their tiny craft veered slightly as other ships built for offense swept by. The arms of the Citadel were opening, and swarms of Alliance craft poured in. They began firing on the massive cuttlefish of doom as other ships burst into flame when they were hit by its lasers.

Arxus snapped back into attention as chunks of debris drifted by them. He skillfully steered through the battlefield towards a safe section of the Citadel, if there was such a place. As the dreadnought shifted from the center of their view to the right, it began to list backwards; it's grip on the tower seemingly relinquished.

The older turian paused the thrusters to watch as a ship shot down towards the leviathan. The brave Alliance vessel blasted a beam straight through the intruder. Everyone cheered as pieces of it started to disassemble. Whatever had tried to intrude on the Citadel had gotten it's ass whooped. They watched intently as chunks of it collided with the tower, other ships, and one another. The small ship was carefully piloted through the wreckage and towards a, supposedly unaffected, arm of the Citadel.

* * *

**Okay, that's enough horrible fan fiction for now. :3**

**I have more ideas, but maybe I should just stop while I still have my dignity.  
**


	9. A Piece of History

**Wow.. this story just won't die! *stabs it* FRANKENFIC!**

**Uhm.. okay. Yeah.. so. Chapter 9.**

**I'd have to say my writing has changed since the first chapter.. or maybe it's just the plot of this story is a runaway train.**

**ENJOY!**

* * *

Neda'Sul vas Freyyl crouched down as she watched the small ship land. They were the first living things she had seen for the past several hours, aside from her group. Everyone had either evacuated in a hurry or died under fire of the synthetics her race had created. She felt a deep pang of guilt, despite it being her ancestors who were the ones responsible.

She with growing relief as they piled out; three turians and two humans. The human male seemed to be in pain; he was clutching as his back. As he turned she caught a glimpse of the gaping wound. Plasma burn, yet it hadn't gone through him; likely he was behind something when hit. Neda'Sul wondered if it had gone through someone else before it hit him. Then she watched as the girl swept aside half of a cab blocking a door. The girl turned and Neda saw her face clearly, along with the small blue creature she recognized in a second. She shook her head as a smile played across her lips. Her people might be called thieves and vagrants, but she was going to bring back a piece of history with her. She left her vantage point to collect her meager possessions.

* * *

"He looked fine on the ship," whispered Ama as they made their way into a shop. She sat on the floor, tired from her efforts. Cota had helped lift, so he perched on the kiosk. Nobody was around to contest their entry. Merchandise and credits alike lay out in plain view. Everyone had left in a hurry. Pavek ran over to the med-kit on the wall, nearly tearing the cover off the hinges. He grabbed an abundance of medi-gel and bandages. Barkley's current wrappings were already saturated with blood, his stoic expression masking the extremity of his wound. Pavek tended to him while Zero went in search for food in the back room.

They sat in the abandoned souvenir store discussing what to do next. Ama suggested they take Barkley to a clinic, but this was shot down. Pavek looked at her, his eyes bright. "If medi-gel is used by that Spectre…" he paused as he finished applying the gel. "Shepard. Works great for her in the battlefield. I'm surprised her crew isn't all dead. This stuff must work miracles."

"I'm a tough guy, so don't worry about me," mumbled Barkley as he sat down tenderly against the store window. "I just hope Carolynn is okay." Pavek remarked that she was fine. "She was going to visit family on Earth. Left this morning, in fact."

Zero handed Barkley a soda, remarking about sugar being the best medicine. Arxus was shifting through the stores supplies. He seemed to find something he liked, as the shuffling noises stilled.

"What are you doing?" asked Pavek, peering over the director's shoulder. Arxus replied by grunting, "Just trying to catch up on my reading." as he threw down a dirty magazine.

He rolled his dark eyes as Pavek picked it up and scanned through it. Zero watched Ama from behind the counter, keeping her eyes on the distracted pair. Nonchalantly, she made her way to the open register and dug in.

"No, no, _no_. We aren't here to loot, just to catch our breath," he chided her like a child. He shoved a pastry into her hand. "Eat_ something_." She threw it at him and stored the creds inside her hoodie. Barkley watched with amusement as the pastry landed right in between Zero and his bandana. He fished it out and tossed it behind him. In a few strides he caught up with her.

"Gimmie dem creds," he mocked a thug's gruff voice, not even caring about the credits anymore. Cota chattered a warning to Ama. Zero swept her up as she turned and squeezed. Heads turned as Ama's spine cracked audibly. He set her down urgently, afraid he'd just hurt her. She rolled her shoulders and stretched.

"_Wow, _that felt amazing. It's been awhile since someone cracked my back," she tapped her chin pensively. "But, what is with you coming up from behind me?"

He snorted and leaned against the counter, relieved that he didn't just paralyze her. "I think that is self explanatory, my dear waffle."

Pavek put down the magazine and ambled over to join Arxus and Barkley.

"Now what?" he sighed. They looked at one another. By the time they had left their area of the Citadel, entire sections of the wards had been in flames. The geth had come through so suddenly, with superior weapons and the advantage of surprise, they had wiped out the majority of life in the area. There was no going back, at least not right away.

"Even if you destroy the flagship, there are bound to be geth left. Best we just wait around until life picks up again," Arxus sighed. "There's going to be a lot of fallout."

"And pieces of that… thing waiting to be studied," spoke a new voice, startling them all. Zero's hand even bolted to his pistol. A female quarian dressed green fabric tentatively entered the store, holding her hands up in the air. Her visor made it impossible to see her face, as it was also tinted with a verdant hue. Cota began to sing a greeting as until Ama moved from behind the counter to embrace the quarian.

"Neda! You're alive!"

"Amara!" she brightened. "Good to see you still kicking. How many rungs are on the ladder now?" She planted her hands on her hips. Ama grinned and pulled up a sleeve to show the quarian.

"Ahh, I'd say I'm at eight now." She glanced at Zero. "But I'm going to stop keeping track with my skin."

"I thought you were a geth," Zero said to Neda apologetically, relaxing his grip on the pistol.

"I can't say I blame you. There are still geth around, you know," she said in her heavy quarian accent. "I am Neda'Sul nar Freyyl," she stated, nervously bowing. Ama put a hand on her friend's arm.

"It's okay, they're good people," she told the anxious quarian. Pavek adjusted his cap, and then glanced at the girls. "So, how do you know each other?"

"Long story short, we met at work," Ama answered with a wink. The quarian continued, petting Cota as he perched on her shoulder.

"Anyway, I was wondering if you would help me," she said slowly. Arxus stood.

"We will try to do what we can, but we need know what that is," he urged her on.

"I need to…" she hesitated and glanced at Ama. "I want to get a piece of the Reaper to bring back to the Flotilla. It would be an amazing gift for my Pilgrimage." .

"We are not mercs for hire, go ask someone else," Pavek said gruffly. Barkley put a hand up to quiet him.

"First off, you need to clarify some things. How big of a piece are we talking 'bout? Are you planning on paying us?" The dark man launched a barrage of questions at the girl.

Ama stepped in front of him and interjected. "You said a Reaper? I just thought that was Saren's flagship, or some geth dreadnought. But a Reaper," Ama bopped her friend playfully. "Next you'll be saying the Collectors are real."

The quarian's shoulders slumped. In a matter-of-fact tone she said, "I cannot vouch for the Collectors existence, but Sovereign was certainly real. Even the geth do not have that kind of technology. But of course you will be paid," she waved a hand at them. "I simply do not have the resources I need… a ship."

"Surely you know my little cab can't get you to your fleet," Arxus intoned. Neda nodded. "Obviously. I just need a lift to get back to _my_ ship. It's too far to go on foot, and alone on top of that."

"Excuse us a second," Zero bowed to her, and then turned to the group when she left the store. They conferred between themselves. Arxus wanted to decline her offer in favor of finding a place to hole up. Ama shook her fist at him. Cota picked up on her irate mood and squawked at Arxus in protest.

"We should give her a chance. Quarians have an unfair reputation," she defended her friend. Pavek rapped his claws on the floor and glanced over his shoulder at the newcomer. She was nervously pacing at a respectable distance.

"It's not about their reputation. Quarians are fine in my book; every species has their good and bad kinds. This is about the current situation we're in," he shrugged. Zero shrugged indifferently and looked at Barkley questioningly. He had his eyes closed, not eager to add his thoughts. Pavek nudged him with a foot.

He swatted at him and stood with a groan.

"I say we do it… just a small piece couldn't hurt. But," he furrowed his brow in thought. "I don't think the fleet would allow such a thing on the Flotilla, anyway. I hope she doesn't think we can take her all that way in Arxus's little cab," he finished with a cough, and raised a brow at Zero. "What about you? You're the tiebreaker, buddy."

"We all know who he has to side with," Pavek sniggered. Zero grabbed the magazine on the counter and hurled it at him.

* * *

Neda'Sul felt like her heart would leap out of her chest. She trusted Ama to support her, but she did not know the others. If they decided to deny her, she was shit out of luck. Her entire body stiffened as Ama poked her head out the door and waved her in. The quarian nearly tripped on her own feet as she made her way inside.

Arxus stood as Neda entered, a resigned look written on his face. Ama looped arms with Zero as she announced their decision. "So, after much deliberation and… persuasion," she cracked her knuckles. "we have decided to help you. Just lead the way, Neda'Sul nar Freyyl."

The quarian's knees almost gave way in relief, but she steadied yourself. She turned to address the others. "Thank you so much. I thought I would never see my _Freyyl _again." Arxus nodded to her while Pavek packed the extra medi-gel and bandages for Barkley. His bleeding had begun to coagulate, but the loss of blood had made him weak.

"I know where to find the piece I need, and it's far enough from the Presidium that we shouldn't run into geth," Neda told them. "I hope not," Pavek snapped, perhaps too sharply. Zero noted that his friend seemed on edge. It was certainly due to Barkley's state. He pondered for a minute as everyone got ready.

"I think that you should bring Barkley to a clinic, Pavek. He needs medical help," Zero said. Barkley groaned and then slammed his hand on the counter.

"We already went over this. I'm _fine, _just as long as we don't run into geth," he growled. Zero shrugged and buried his anxiety. He couldn't help but mutter, "I just think it would help Pavek more than you…"

Pavek straightened up to defend himself, but waved it off. "Let's just get this over with. I'm tired of crouching in this store."

Ama searched in her bag, pulling out a pencil and her sketchbook.

"You brought that with you?" Zero asked incredulously. She nodded, grinning.

"Before we leave, we need a quick group shot. In case one of us dies," she snorted. Barkley rasped laughter. "Ok, that was in bad taste." In the time it took them to pack everything up, she was done. The group sketch was quick but everyone was well defined.

With a last glance around the store, they took anything of use. Not that the owner would need it; they were either dead or long gone. With tentative glances around the corridors, they left the safety of the deserted wards to pile back into the small ship.


End file.
